US embassy cable - 05BRASILIA1922

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 001922 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, BR, Human Rights, TIP 
SUBJECT: BRAZILIAN HUMAN RIGHTS SECRETARIAT DOWNGRADED; 
HUMAN RIGHTS SECRETARY RESIGNS 
 
REF: A. BRASILIA 2684 
     B. BRASILIA 1849 
     C. BRASILIA 1862 
     D. BRASILIA 1867 
 
1) (U) Summary.  On July 12, President Lula announced that 
the Special Secretariat for Human Rights (SEDH) would lose 
ministerial status and would be folded into the Ministry of 
Justice (MOJ).  That same day, Human Rights Secretary 
Nilmario Miranda announced his plans to step down to enter 
Minas Gerais State politics.  NGOs and human rights activists 
protested Lula's decision, and believe that it is an attempt 
by the GOB to divert public attention away from SEDH's 
"incompetence."  SEDH Under Secretary for Human Rights 
Defense and Promotion Perly Cipriano told poloff on July 14 
that a number of GOB officials disagree with Lula's decision. 
 End Summary. 
 
CORRUPTION PLAGUES GOB; LULA DOWNGRADES SEDH 
-------------------------------------------- 
2) (U) Since May, a series of corruption scandals have 
battered President Lula da Silva and his administration.  As 
a result, a number of high level GOB officials have resigned 
and Lula has been forced to shake-up his ministerial cabinet 
(ref B).  Human Rights Secretary Nilmario Miranda resigned on 
July 12 (ref C).  That same day, Lula announced that the 
Special Secretariat for Human Rights (SEDH), a special 
ministry attached to the Presidency, would lose ministerial 
status and fall under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice 
(ref D).  Miranda has announced that he plans to campaign for 
the 2006 presidency for the Workers' Party (PT) in Minas 
Gerais state. 
 
NGOS PROTEST LULA'S DECISION 
---------------------------- 
3) (U) Brazilian human rights NGOs and civil society 
organizations protested Lula's decision to downgrade SEDH, 
and questioned why secretariats with a less significant role, 
such as the Special Secretariat of Aquaculture and Fishing, 
were spared.  In an open letter to the GOB, the NGO Human 
Rights National Movement released a statement that read in 
part: &The decision of the President of the Republic (to 
downgrade SEDH) clearly signals to the Brazilian public that 
human rights are definitively not a priority for this 
government.8  The Forum of National Human Rights Entities 
(FENDH), an alliance of Brazilian NGOs, believes that the 
recent downgrade is an attempt by the GOB to divert public 
attention away from what some activists characterize as 
SEDH's &incompetence.8 
 
4) (SBU) During a July 13 conversation with poloff, Elizabeth 
Silveira e Silva, President of the Rio de Janeiro branch of 
the nationwide Torture Never Again NGO said that the 
stripping away of SEDH's autonomy represents a step backward 
in the fight for human rights in Brazil.  Silva openly 
critiqued Miranda's performance, and specifically cited 
SEDH's failure to secure the release of dictatorship era 
dossiers as a possible reason for Lula's decision (ref A). 
Silva was not optimistic that SEDH under the MOJ would 
advance human rights successfully in Brazil. 
 
GOB OFFICIALS DISAGREE WITH LULA'S DECISION 
------------------------------------------- 
5) (SBU) Contrary to press reports, Perly Cipriano, Under 
Secretary for Human Rights Defense and Promotion at SEDH, 
 
SIPDIS 
told poloff on July 14 that the announced plan to remove 
SEDH's ministerial status and move it to the MOJ has not been 
confirmed.  Cipriano said that many within the GOB believe 
that Lula's decision is "contrary to the GOB's plans to 
support human rights in Brazil."  Cipriano also told poloff 
that a number of GOB officials do not support the plan and 
have met to discuss SEDH's future. 
6) (U) Cipriano could not confirm that SEDH's internal 
structure would remain intact after moving to the MOJ, but 
believed that significant administrative, staffing, and 
policy changes would occur. 
 
COMMENT 
-------- 
7) (SBU) Lula's decision to downgrade SEDH is surprising, 
given the priority that Lula and his administration have 
placed on promoting human rights.  If SEDH moves to the MOJ, 
it will be more difficult for NGOs, human rights activists, 
and the GOB to advance human rights in Brazil since MOJ 
priorities could take precedence over human rights issues. 
Although Cipriano and other GOB officials believe that SEDH's 
ministerial status should be maintained, Lula's decision is 
likely final. 
 
 
MANGANIELLO